Flight

http://youtu.be/q5f_Kfz9XEo

Only my second ever full run to Brighton and back from Newhaven in 15 years of paragliding. All the moons have to align (literally) as the tide has to be out, the wind a 15kph SSW, fine weather, daytime, not be a working day for me, AND not be busy doing something else. 
Sunday looked like being the only flyable day of the long weekend, and it was forecast too windy in the morning, but dropping rapidly off in the afternoon about 4pm. With a low tide at 2:40pm I arrived about 2pm to find paragliders in the air and tales of smooth conditions. 
Wasting no time, I got clipped in, launched and headed straight for my goal. Conditions were indeed smooth, and there was plenty of lift, making crossing some of the gaps in the cliffs e.g. Saltdean and Rottingdean not to onerous. 
The main thing I love about this cliff run is the juxtaposition of flying, and yet being close to the top of the cliff for such a long time. There's a real connection with the ground as you fly along at 30kph or so, and you can frequently shout greetings to passing walkers and picnickers who are only a few metres away. 
I made the 10km to Brighton Marina in a little under 30 minutes, and then boated back, chasing cars on the coast road, flying over the flats at Rottingdean and getting my photo taken as I was level with the cliff-top just East of Saltdean. 
I was having so much fun when I arrived back at Newhaven, I promptly turned around to have another go, but making Brighton a second time was not to be. I got increasingly low, and ended up flying metres below the cliff top for 500m or so, before they reduced in height and I was able to creep over. There wasn't enough lift to put a turn in at this point, as I would have ended up on the deck, and I approached Saltdean low. Whizzing past a resting taxi driver, I had no choice but to head out over the beach on account of a 3m high pole next to the cafe, and there I landed on the beach abut 6km from Newhaven. 
As the